My Dumb State: SC Statehouse's Last Minute Gerrymandering for June 9 Primary

May 19, 2026 11:07 AM EDT, Tue

SC Statehouse

Call Script

  • (803) 212-6963 Rep. Kilmartin, “Jay”
    • Spoke to staffer
    • Left voicemail
    • Line busy / try again
  • (803) 212-6240 Sen. Cromer, Ronnie
    • Spoke to staffer
    • Left voicemail
    • Line busy / try again

Hello, my name is Ralph Hightower, a constituent from Chapin.

Governor McMaster has abused the concept of “extraordinary occasion.” Redrawing House district lines is not an emergency. Hurricanes are. Budget shortfalls are.

Calling a special session for partisan redistricting—right before a June primary—undermines election stability and stretches executive authority beyond its constitutional limits.

Keep the primary in June. This isn’t leadership. It’s an extreme example of political dumbassedness.

Email

Subject: Oppose Extraordinary Session for Redistricting

Representative / Senator,

I’m writing as a constituent from Chapin. Because time is short, I want to be clear: the Governor’s call for an extraordinary session to redraw House district lines does not meet the constitutional standard for an “extraordinary occasion.”

Article IV, Section 19 reserves extraordinary sessions for emergencies — natural disasters, urgent fiscal shortfalls, or threats to the immediate functioning of state government. Redistricting is a regular legislative responsibility, not an emergency.

Forcing this process immediately before a June primary risks confusion for voters and imposes unnecessary strain on county election officials who must finalize precincts, rolls, and ballots on strict timelines.

South Carolina has faced hurricanes, floods, and budget crises. Those are extraordinary occasions. A partisan redistricting request is not.

I urge you to oppose the use of extraordinary‑session authority for this purpose and to support keeping the June primary on schedule.

Respectfully, Ralph Hightower Chapin, South Carolina

Governor McMaster, Henry

Call Script

This is Ralph Hightower from Chapin. I’m calling to state my position that the extraordinary‑session order to redraw House districts is an abuse of executive authority under Article IV, Section 19 of the South Carolina Constitution. Redistricting is not an extraordinary occasion, and delaying the primary into August would also put South Carolina in conflict with federal UOCAVA requirements for military and overseas voters. I urge you to keep the June primary on schedule. Thank you.

Email

Subject: Constitutional and Federal Concerns Regarding Extraordinary Session and Primary Delay

Governor McMaster,

I am writing as a constituent from Chapin to state my objection to the call for an extraordinary session to redraw House district lines. In my view, this action constitutes an abuse of executive authority under Article IV, Section 19 of the South Carolina Constitution, which limits extraordinary sessions to extraordinary occasions such as natural disasters, urgent fiscal shortfalls, or threats to the immediate functioning of state government. Redistricting does not fall within that category.

Further, any delay of the primary into August would place South Carolina in conflict with federal law, specifically the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), which imposes mandatory timelines for transmitting ballots to military and overseas voters. Compressing or displacing those timelines risks noncompliance and undermines the legal integrity of the election process.

For these reasons, I urge you to refrain from using extraordinary‑session authority for this purpose and to maintain the June primary schedule.

Respectfully, Ralph Hightower Chapin, South Carolina

Attorney General Wilson, Alan

Call Script

This is Ralph Hightower from Chapin. I’m calling to state my position that the Governor’s extraordinary‑session order is an abuse of executive authority under Article IV, Section 19 of the South Carolina Constitution. Any delay of the primary into August would also place the state in violation of federal UOCAVA law, which mandates strict ballot‑transmission timelines for military and overseas voters. I am registering my objection to this action and its legal consequences. Thank you.

Email

Subject: Abuse of Executive Authority and Federal UOCAVA Conflict

Attorney General Wilson,

I am writing as a constituent from Chapin to express my position regarding the Governor’s call for an extraordinary session to redraw House district lines. In my view, this action represents an abuse of executive authority under Article IV, Section 19 of the South Carolina Constitution, which restricts extraordinary sessions to genuinely extraordinary circumstances. Redistricting is a routine legislative function and does not meet that constitutional standard.

Additionally, any delay of the primary into August would place South Carolina at risk of violating federal law, specifically the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). UOCAVA imposes strict, non‑discretionary deadlines for transmitting ballots to military and overseas voters. A delayed primary would make compliance impracticable and expose the state to legal challenge.

For these reasons, I am registering my objection to the use of extraordinary‑session authority in this context and to any alteration of the primary schedule that would conflict with federal law.

Respectfully, Ralph Hightower Chapin, South Carolina

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